Top 32 quotes from Barack Obama Speech at 2004 DNC Convention

  • 2016-07-05 14:04:26
  • 6571 VIEWS

 

  • On behalf of the great state of Illinois - crossroads of a nation, land of Lincoln, let me express my deep gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention.
  • Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let’s face it; my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely.

 

Family

  • My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father - my grandfather was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.
  • But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place, America, that's shown as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before him.
  • My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation.
  • They would give me an African name, Barack, or blessed, believing that in a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success.
  • They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential.

 

Faith dreams and hope

  • And I stand here today grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents' dreams live on in my two precious daughters.
  • I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.
  • We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
  • That is the true genius of America, a faith. A faith in simple dreams an insistence on small miracles.
  • And fellow Americans, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, I say to you tonight: We have more work to do.

 

John Kerry

  • John Kerry understands the ideals of community, faith and service because they've defined his life. From his heroic service to Vietnam to his years as prosecutor and lieutenant governor, through two decades in the United States Senate, he has devoted himself to this country.
  • John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded. So instead of offering tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas, he offers them to companies creating jobs here at home.
  • John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded. So instead of offering tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas, he offers them to companies creating jobs here at home.
  • John Kerry believes in an America where all Americans can afford the same health coverage our politicians in Washington have for themselves.
  • John Kerry believes in energy independence, so we aren't held hostage to the profits of oil companies or the sabotage of foreign oil fields.
  • John Kerry believes in the constitutional freedoms that have made our country the envy of the world, and he will never sacrifice our basic liberties nor use faith as a wedge to divide us.
  • And John Kerry believes that in a dangerous world, war must be an option sometimes, but it should never be the first option.

 

If there is:

  • If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child.
  • If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription and having to choose between medicine and the rent that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandparent.
  • If there’s an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process that threatens my civil liberties.

 

There’s the United States of America.

  • It is that fundamental belief I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper that makes this country work.
  • It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family.
  • Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.
  • Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America.
  • There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America.
  • In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism, or do we participate in a politics of hope?
  • Hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty, and the audacity of hope: In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation, a belief in things not seen, and a belief that there are better days ahead.

 

I believe:

  • I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity.
  • I believe we can provide jobs for the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair.
  • I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs, and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices and meet the challenges that face us.

 Related: Barack Obama's Quotes